Well, maybe -- but sooner or later the lack of interest is bound to stop. Last season the kid from Sioux City, Iowa, joined LeBron, Carmelo, D-Wade and Chris Bosh on the All-Rookie First Team, and he was the only one of the crew to record a triple-double. "Some guys get respect based on their reputation," Hinrich says. "I have to earn mine every time I walk on the court. It's always been that way for me. It'll always be that way for me."
Being a white point guard has made him a bit of a lightning rod from the beginning. "I've been in AAU games where the opposing coach, who never saw me play, would scream 'shooter, shooter' as soon as I got the ball," he says. "Or I'd guard a guy and the coach would yell, 'take him.' People look at me and never give me a fair shot."
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
ESPN The Magazine subscribers
Need more information?
